Automobile door lock



y 1942. w. K. FREEMAN AUTOMOBILE DOOR LUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.7, 1941 In uentor A ltorney Ma 26, 1942. w. K. FREEMAN- AUTOMOBILEDOORLOCK Filed Jan. '7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor /reema?7 A nomeyPatented May 2 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE noon LooKWilliam Freeman, Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 7, 1941, SerialNo. 373,511

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in looksfor automobile and other vehicle doors and has for its primary object toprovide novel means operable from the exterior of the door for releasingthe door bolt to permit opening of the door.

More specifically the invention comprises a lever recessed in thesurface of the door and operable upon an inwardly pivotal movement to.release the door bolt.

The invention further embodies means for controlling the bolt againstunlocking movement from the inside of the door.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is neat and attractive inappearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install inoperative position and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for whichthe same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is afragmentary side elevational view of an automobile door embodying thepresent invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the inside of the door with parts brokenaway,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially ona line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the inside of one ofthe doors showing the inner locking means for the bolt, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view' taken substantially on a line6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and with particular reference toFigures 1 to 4 inclusive, the numeral 5 designates an automobile door ofconventional construction, the outer surface of the door being providedwith an opening 6 extending horizontally and in which is conformablyfitted a lever 1 having one end fixedly secured to a verticallyextending rock shaft 8 journalled in bearings 9 at the inside of thedoor. Mounted on the shaft 8 is a coil spring I0 having one endindicated at l l bearing against the inside of the lever l and theopposite end l2 of the spring bearing against the inside of the door toyieldably urge the lever 1 into aposition flush with the outer surfaceof the door 5.

To the lower end of the shaft 8 is secured a laterally projecting arm 13to the outer end of which is pivoted a rod l4 extending parallel to thelever 1 toward the free edge ofthe door 5 and connected to the slidingbolt I5, which is employed for securing the door in-a closed position inthe usual manner.

To the inside of the lever! adjacent its free end is a' key controlledlock I6 including the bolt l1 adapted for engagement with the keeper [8of conventionalconstruction.

The bolt I1 is adapted for actuation through the medium of a keyinsertedthrough the keyhole opening IS in the outer surface of. thelever 7 whereby the lever 1 may be locked against inward movement andthus secure the bolt 15.

against retracting actuation. The inside of the door 5 isprovided lever20 connected to the bolt [5 for retracting the same from the inside ofthe automobile, when desired. Y

The upper and lower edges. of the opening 6 in the door are rolledinwardly to provide tubular hand gripping bars 2| at the inside of theopening 6 whereby upon the inward movement of the lever l the fingers ofa person may engage the bars 2| and either the upper or lower edges ofthe opening 6 and thus permit the door to be grasped for openingmovement.

It is the present custom to provide only one of the automobile doors ofa vehicle with a keycontrolled lock and in the present embodiment of theinvention the remaining doors of the vehicle may be locked by means of abolt illustrated in Figures 5 and 60f the drawings. In this form of theinvention the bolt releasing lever is designated at 22 adapted foroverlapping engagement at its free edge by means of a bolt 23 slidablymounted in guides 24 at the inside of the door.

A lever 25 is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 26, one end of thelever being attached to the bolt 23 and the other end of the leverprojects through an opening 21 on the inner side of the door formanipulation .of the bolt. A coil spring 28 is mounted on the lever 25adjacent the bolt 23 to yieldably 'maintain the lever and bolt againstaccidental movement.

It is believed the details of construction, ad vantages and manner ofuse of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing'with- Vout further explanation.

with, a T

prising a bolt adapted to be mounted in the free edge of the door forprojection and retraction; 'an elongated plate adapted to fit flush insaid slot, means to mount one end of the plate on said door for swingingof its other end inwardly of the slot and comprising a verticallyextending rock shaft adapted to be journaled inside said door andprovided with alateral arm on one end thereof, a

rod operatively connecting said arm to said bolt for retraction of thebolt under swinging of said v plate inwardly of the slot, and a keyoperative second bolt on said other end of said plate adapted forcoaction with a keeper on said door.

